Open top car



J. J. TATUM July 25, 1939.

OPEN TOP CAR Filed Oct. 19, 1937 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 25, 1939.

J. J. TATUM OPEN TOP CAR Filed Oct. 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 3 06M J. gel/130W,

July 25, 1939. J. J. TATUM OPEN TOP CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 19, 1937 I m \\\\.4\,- mm ra-In a INVENTOR. ca1owvv ATTORNEY AH I H July 25, 1939. J J TATUM 2,167,427 OPEN TOP CAR Filed Oct. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 (i T Z ATTORNEY Patented July 25,1939

UNITED sTAT s PATENT OFFICE OPEN TOP CAR John J. Tatum, Baltimore, Md. I Application October 19, 1937, Serial.No.- 169,884

5 Claims.

brought about in switching cars in yards and in the sudden starting and stopping of cars while in trainscausing the lading to shift either over the end or side of the'car and encounter adjacent cars or passing trains, causing severe damage to passing equipment or to'adjacent equipment in thetrain; also preventing injury ,and possible loss of life to occupants of, passing trains and adjacent cars.

Another object of the invention is to prevent or eliminate the excessive cost of securing the lading on such cars with temporary materials, which .add materially to the cost of loading and securing the lading on the cars by shippers; also eliminating the waste of material used in providing such temporary means for securing the lading on the car, such as lumber and metal, all of which is necessary for conservation of 'ma- .terial and expediency in prompt movement of lading to destination after placed on the cars. Millions of dollars are spent annually for materials that go to'wasteused in this way, vandfor labor to re-arrange shifted lading on equipment because of not being secured in position, the cause'of which injuries and loss of life are very pronounced. 'The destruction of bridges and buildings on the right-of-wayas well as damage 35 to them, mounts high in cost to railroad owners. With this new improvement in equipment these means are eliminated and safer operation is provided.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gondola car embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is an end View of the same.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation, showing the fastening means employed for the chains.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5, Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a sectional View on the line 6-6,

Figure 5. v

Figure '7 is a fragmentaryrear elevation. Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line B'8, Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of a modified form of-stake.

Figure 19 a plan view of a fiat car.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a sectional view on the line l2-2 I, Figure 11. g I

' Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of stake.

Figure 14 is a sectional view on the line I l-l4 of Figure 13. v

Figure 15 is a side elevation of a modified form of stake in elevated position.

I Figure 16 is a .view similar to Figure 15 with the stake in folded position.

Figure 17 is a large front elevation of Figure 15 showing the stake locking means.

Figure 1815 a sectional view on the line of Figure 1'7. I

Figure 19 is a sectional View on the line 19-49. of Figure 16.

Referring to the gondola type of car shown, the reference number I designates the carhaving the side walls 2 of any approved construction having a top cord 3, said walls having side braces 4.

According to my invention the side and end corners of the car are materially higher than the intervening lengthwise portions of the car. This construction is formed by a side wall portion 5 and an end portion 6, disposed at a 90 angle to each other. The corner post I may be made or formed from a rolled section, such as an angle, or a Z-bar, or may be made of cast steel of desirable shape that will provide the needed fastening or attaching meansv to the car structure; preferably these corner posts are of such shape 7 that will provide the maximum distance at the ends of the car; the height of said posts being within the Association of American Railroads clearance dimension, so that the carwill not be restricted in its movement over the railroads of the country. These corners of the car are designed to cooperate with the end gate walls 6,

the body portion of which is corrugated. The V 'I are provided with a keeper 9f designed to which is pivoted to the end gate 6. The end gate B'is hinged at its lower end as at II, the hinge jointbeing coupled to a torsion spring 'IZ which assists the operators in raising and lowering the gate from horizontal position, relieving them of the weight of'theend gates to the extent of throwing the load partially on the springs.

The upper edge of the gate 6 is secured to the posts by a lock 14. 1

Service ladders l5 are positioned on the corner end structure of the car, if desired or required. From the above it will be seen that my improved posts receive the latch I ll vertical to- V stake may be locked in any elevation desired as will be readily understood.

To the top of each stake a length of chain 20 is secured, one of said chain lengths having secured at its free end a lock or fastening link 2| whereby the ends of the chain lengths may be. secured together and the combined chains locked thereby holding the stakes to which they are attached against bulging under load and service strains.

For the gondola type of car I may provide a stake 22 hinged at 23 to the top portion of the car side wall whereby the stake when not in use may be swung into folded position against the inner face of the car side wall. a

The floor of the car adjacent each end may be recessed to receive the end gate when in its down position whereby the gate will not project above the upper plane of the floor. This broad feature is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,916,343 issued July 4, 1933. I r

In adapting my invention to the 'flat car the materially higher corner construction is, for all intents and purposes, substantially the same as that described in connection with the gondola car, the side end corner walls 24 extending from the side sills to the top, and in this instance reinforced at one edge with an angle iron 25.

The flat car is provided with stakes 26 hinged as at 26a to the car structure at their bottom ends, which, when in inoperative position are positioned in grooves 21 extending transversely of the car whereby the floor 28 of the car is free from obstructions. These stakes are provided with chains as described above. I have shown the flat car as loaded with lading 29.

This flat car is provided with an end gate 30 hinged at 3i to the car and extends from the floor of the car to the top of the high corner end 24 of the car.

The car is arranged with this equipment so that the end gate on one end of the car can be dropped down to the floor level, permitting it to be used for what is commonly known as an extended load car, which is a load having a length greater than the length of the car. The end gate can be dropped down on one end of two cars coupled together so the car can be loaded as a double load car; that is, the length of the lading would be such that it could not be carried in one car, and would require the length of two cars. Both end gates on one car can be dropped down to the level of the floor so the car can be loaded as a triple load car. In other Words, two cars could have the end gates down and coupled to the one car, with both end gates down. This would permit loading of such lengths that would require the length of three cars for it to be loaded in. This is the flexibility provided in the arrangement of this improvement.

In Figures 14, 15 to 19 I have shown fragmentary views of a gondola car in which the stakes 32 arehinged as at 33 to the floor. of the car.

On the top of the side wall of the car I provide a loop, or like device 34 and provide the stake with a perforation and also provide a pin 35 which is adapted to pass through said loop 34 and the perforation in the stake and thereby lock the stake in its operative position. The stakes are adapted to fold into grooves in the floor of the car as hereinbefore described.

The car may be provided with gates A hinged, or otherwise secured to the bottom of the car intermediate its ends and normally lie flush with the bottom of the car. The car may be fitted with one or more of these gates. These gates when in elevated position divide the car into separate compartments whereby the car may be loaded with different kinds of material. In the drawings the gates are shown in their lowered position.

The walls 5 and end portions 6 may be made of 'roll' shaped material, such as angles, 2 bars,

pressed steel shaped material, or cast steel, and these parts may be cast integral.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the construction herein described within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is.

1. A freight car having corner posts, end walls extending from the floor up to the top of the corner posts, side wall portions at the car ends having the same vertical height as the corner posts, lower central sidewall portions extending longitudinally between the side wall portions at the 'car ends and of less vertical height than said side wall portions at'the car ends, and side stakes mounted on the lower central side wall portions and extending thereabove to a height equal to the height of the side wall portions at the car ends and serving to prevent lateral shifting of lading in the portions of the car intermediate the side wall portions at the car ends when the lading in the central portion of the car is loaded to a height greaterthan that of the lower central side wall portions. 7

2. A freight car having corner posts, hinged end walls adapted to be swung downwardly to the level of the car floor and to be'swung upwardly to the level of the tops of the corner posts and secured in operative position to prevent longitudinalshifting of lading at the end of the car, side wall portions at the car ends having the same vertical height as the corner posts, lower central side wall portions extending longitudinally between the side wall portions at the car ends and of less vertical height than said side wall portions at the car ends, and side stakes mounted on the lower central side wall portions and extending thereabove to a height equal to the height of the side wall portions at the car ends and serving to prevent lateral shifting of lading in the portions of the car intermediate the side wall portions at the car ends when the lading in the central portion of the car is loaded to a height greater than that of thelower central side wall portions.

3. A freight car having corner posts, end walls extending from the floor up to the top of the corner posts, side wall portions at the car ends having the same vertical height as the corner posts, lower central side wall portions extending longitudinally between the side wall portions at the car ends and of less vertical height than said side wall portions at the car ends, side stakes mounted on the lower central side wall portions and extending thereabove to a height equal to the height of the side wall portions at the car ends and serving to prevent lateral shifting of lading in the portions of the car intermediate the side wall portions at the car ends when the lading in the central portion of the car is loaded to a height greater than that of the lower central side wall portions, and stay chains on said side stakes, the chains of transversely alined stakes adapted to be extended across the car and having fastening means for detachably coupling them together.

4. A freight car having corner posts, hinged end walls adapted to be swung downwardly to the level of the car floor and to be swung upwardly to the level of the tops of the corner posts and secured in operative position to prevent longitudinal shifting of lading at the ends of the car, side wall portions at the car ends having the same vertical height as the corner posts, lower central side wall portions extending longitudinally between the side wall portions at the car ends and of less vertical height than said side wall portions at the car ends, side stakes mounted on the lower central side wall portions and extending thereabove to a height equal to the height of the side wall portions at the car ends and serving to prevent lateral shifting of lading in the portions 015 the car intermediate the side wall portions at the car ends when the lading in the central portion of the car is loaded to a height greater than that of the lower central side wall portions, and stay chains on said side stakes, the chains of transversely alined stakes adapted to be extended across the car and having fastening means for detachably coupling them together.

5. A freight car having a corner post at each of its corners extending upwardly to a level materially above its floor level, hinged end gates adapted to be swung downward to an open position in the plane of the floor and to be swung upward to a closed position to a vertical height substantially equal to the level of the tops of the posts and to be secured in operative position to serve as abutments to prevent longitudinal shifting of lading at the ends of the car, side wall portions at the car ends having the same vertical height as that of the corner posts, and lading confining means effective for use at the sides of the car between the side wall portions for regulating the height at which lading may be held against lateral shifting below or up to a level equal to the level of the tops of the corner posts and said side wall portions.

JOHN J. TATUM. 

